Boudin Bakery - Fisherman's Wharf, San Francisco

The thing is - I'm a bit of a tourist.

Finding myself in San Francisco for a long weekend last March, my wife and I decided to spend some time at Fisherman's Wharf:

Being a tourist at Fisherman's Wharf, I feel obliged to eat chowder from a bowl made from sourdough bread (full disclosure - I find the notion of eating chowder and sourdough bread appealing even when I'm not in San Francisco).

So where can an out-of-towner find sourdough bread on Fisherman's Wharf? The Boudin Bakery, of course:

According to their web site,  Boudin sourdough bread began in San Francisco:

"In 1849, the Boudin family struck culinary gold. Wild yeasts in the San Francisco air had imparted a unique tang to their traditional French bread, giving rise to 'San Francisco sourdough French bread.' "

Stepping inside the bakery, we find ourselves in a bustling cafe, but then we remember the sign on the outside said "Restaurant and Bar Upstairs", and sure enough there's a sign at the back of the cafe promising better things for those who climb the steps...

Upstairs we find a more refined setting:

And better still - since we're there on the early side, there's a table by the window:

Let's see what the menu has to offer:

True to form, I order the "Boudin Sourdough Breadbowl" (with the traditional clam chowder).  My wife decides to try the "Dungeness Crab Mac & Cheese", which the menu describes as:

"Aged Vermont cheddar cheese, fresh cream and freshly picked Dingeness crab with buttered sourdough bread crumbs"

Add a nice bottle of California chardonnay, and here's the result:

The chowder and sourdough were delightful.  The chowder was wonderfully creamy without being heavy, and the bread didn't disappoint either.  I recall the Mac & Cheese being decent, but the dish which still resonates in my mind eight months later is the chowder.  Highly recommended.

There's so much wonderful food in San Francisco.  (I wrote about two other great meals previously). And I know we barely scratched the surface during our visit.

Do you have any favorite foods (or food spots) in The City?  If so, I'd love to hear about them.

Until next time,

- Chris.